SISOY THE GREAT
Abba Joseph asked Abba Sisoya: in what space of time can a person eradicate his passions? The elder said: do you want to know about time (about years)? Yes, Joseph answered. The elder told him: at the time when any passion arises, eradicate it.
The brother asked Abba Sisoes: How should I spend my life? how to escape? how to please God? The elder answered: if you want to please God, then leave the world, separate from the earth, leave creation, approach the Creator, unite yourself with God through prayer and weeping, and you will find peace in this and in the next century.
The brother asked Abba Sisoes how he should live? The elder answered: what you are looking for is found through the strictest silence and humility.
The brother asked Abba Sisoes: what leads to humility? The elder told him: when someone strives to recognize each person as better than himself, then this will give him humility.
One of the elders said: I asked Abba Sisoes to tell me an edifying word, he told me: a monk’s opinion of himself should be lower than idols. I returned to my hut, and, not understanding what it meant to be lower than idols, after a year I again came to the elder and said to him: what does it mean to be lower than idols? The elder said to me: Scripture speaks of idols, that they have mouths and do not speak; they have eyes and do not see; They have ears and do not hear (Ps. 135:16-17): this is how a monk should be. Idols are an abomination: and let a monk think of himself that he is an abomination.
Abba Ammon said to Abba Siso: when they read books, I want to notice wise sayings, so that I can have them in my memory in case of need. The elder answered him: this is not necessary! you need to acquire purity of mind and speak from this purity, placing your trust in God.
Based on the book “Works of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Volume 6. Fatherland"
Saint Dmitry of Rostov
Life of our Venerable Father Sisoes the Great
Memory 6 July
Having loved God from a young age, the Monk Sisoes took upon himself the yoke of the cross and followed Christ with zeal, laboring in the deserts of Egypt through the exploits of fasting, he lived a life equal to the angels, defeating hordes of invisible enemies with humility and prayer. The place of his exploits was a deserted mountain, in which the Monk Anthony the Great labored, and blessed Sisoes himself was an imitator of the life of Anthony. For his humility, he received such grace from God that he even raised the dead, as is clear from the Patericon, where the following is reported about Saint Sisoes.
A certain layman went to Abba Sisoya on Mount Anthony for a blessing, taking with him his son, a young boy. It happened that on the way, this youth fell ill and died, but his father was not embarrassed and with faith carried the dead man to the elder. Entering the monk’s cell, he fell at his feet, laying his dead son at the monk’s feet, as if he had asked him for blessings and prayers. After the elder prayed and gave a blessing, the layman went out, leaving the child lying dead at the feet of the elder. The elder did not notice that the child was dead and, assuming that he was waiting for a blessing, said to him:
“Get up, child, and get out of here.”
And the dead man immediately rose again and followed his father.
Then that man, seeing his son alive, returned with him to the elder and, bowing, gave him thanks. The elder, realizing that he had resurrected the dead, was very sad, for he did not want to have the glory of a miracle worker, and forbade the man to talk about what happened until his death.
The brethren once asked this inspired father:
– If a brother falls into sin, is one year enough for him to repent?
“This word is cruel,” the elder answered this question.
Then the brothers said:
- So, it is appropriate for a sinner to repent for only six months?
“A lot,” answered the elder.
“Perhaps,” the brothers asked again, “forty days are enough for his repentance?”
“A lot,” the elder answered again.
Then he said:
– I believe in the mercy of God, the Lover of Mankind, and if a person repents with all his soul, then God will accept his repentance within three days.
One brother asked the elder again, saying:
- What should I do, father, since I fell into sin?
“Correct yourself, child,” answered the elder, “and you will be saved.”
“But after correction, I fell again,” answered the brother.
“Correct yourself again,” said the elder.
“How long,” asked the brother, “will my fall and uprising continue?”
- Until your end comes and finds you either in good or in evil, therefore you must always remain in correction, so that your death also occurs in it.
This reverend father had a disciple, Apollos. Due to the power of the enemy’s cunning, among other desires and temptations, the desire for the priesthood appeared in him. In his dreams, demons appeared to him in the form of saints, consecrating him as a bishop. Waking up from sleep, he began to beg the elder to order him to go to the city to the bishop to be ordained as a priest. But the elder forbade him to do this and, teaching him, admonished him not to seek a rank above his dignity. Distressed by the constant teaching and instruction of the elder, Apollos secretly fled from him and retired to relatives in Alexandria, so that, with the assistance of the latter, he would quickly receive priesthood.
When Apollos was walking along the road, he met a demon in the form of an immeasurably tall man. He was naked and black, with a disgusting face, thick lips and iron nails. Having an animal likeness, he at the same time looked like both a man and a woman. Spreading the stench, the demon showed such shamelessness before the eyes of Apollos that it is impossible even to convey it in writing. Throwing himself at Apollos's neck, the demon hugged him with his arms and often kissed him. Apollos protected himself with the sign of the cross and tore himself out of his hands. But the demon said to him:
- Why are you running away from me? Know that you are mine, and I love you, for you fulfill my desires. That is why I came to you, in order to accompany you until I complete all your desires.
Unable to bear his stench and shamelessness, Apollos raised his eyes to heaven and cried out in a loud voice:
- God, through the prayers of my father Sisoy, help me and deliver me from this misfortune!
And so the demon, retreating a short distance from him, transformed into a beautiful naked woman and said to him:
“Come and satisfy your desire, because you have calmed me a lot with your thoughts in your heart.”
“I wanted to make you,” the demon said later, “a priest and a bishop, but the prayers of Sisoes, a voluptuous old man, drive me away from you.”
With these words the demon became invisible.
Overcome by intense fear, Apollos returned to the elder and, falling at his feet, confessed to him everything that had happened and asked for forgiveness. He also told the brethren what suffering he had suffered from the deception of the devil and how the prayers of the venerable father Sisoes helped him.
Truly his prayer was powerful in driving away demons. They also drove away the unclean spirit that was tormenting him from another disciple of Elder Sisoya, named Abraham. All evil spirits fled from him, not daring to approach the brave and invincible warrior of Christ.
The Monk Sisoes lived in the desert for sixty years. When he was already dying (and at that time his brethren were with him), his face lit up like light, and he said to the brethren:
- Here, Abba Anthony has come.
Then, after a short silence, he said again:
- Behold, the face of the prophets has come.
And again he beamed even more and said:
- Behold, the face of the Apostles has come.
And his face shone doubly, and he talked with invisible faces.
The brothers begged him, saying:
– Father, tell us: with whom are you talking?
And he said to them:
“It was the angels who came to take me, but I pray to them that they leave me for a short time so that I can repent.”
“You don’t need to repent, father,” the brothers told him.
To this the elder replied:
“Truly, I do not know whether I have even made the beginning of my repentance.
But all the brothers knew that he was perfect in virtues. After this, he again shone even more powerfully, and his face became like the sun, and everyone was afraid of this. Then the elder said:
- Behold, the Lord comes, look, everyone. He says: Bring Me a chosen vessel from the desert!
With these words the monk gave up his spirit to the Lord. At that moment, lightning appeared and the temple was filled with fragrance.
Having ended his temporary life with such a blessed death, the Monk Sisoes moved into endless life. And now he is at home with Christ and enjoys seeing Him along with those faces of the saints whom he saw at his death.
Through the prayers of our venerable father Sisoes, may we also be worthy of this joy by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory forever. Amen.
Notes:
The death of St. Sisoes the Great followed around 429.
What can you do on July 19, Sysoev Day?
Among the people, Saint Sysoi was revered as the patron saint of farmers. The day of his memory is usually distinguished by strong dews, which are endowed with healing properties.
It is known that on this day our ancestors “hunted” for morning dew. This means that people took off their shoes and walked barefoot on the grass. This tradition connects man and nature; it also gives beauty and health, which is confirmed by folk signs.
- They say that if a representative of the fairer sex washes herself with such dew, she will be rosy and young for the rest of her life.
- If a man who is tired of the summer suffering lies down on the grass early in the morning, he himself will not notice how he has gained strength and power.
- A child who has a lot of fun in a dewy meadow will receive good immunity. Such a child will not suffer from diseases for at least a whole year.
On this day, people got up as early as possible in order to walk through the dew. They say that if you walk barefoot through the morning dew, you can improve your health, get rid of problems and illnesses, find inner peace and know yourself. It is very important not to dry your feet after a walk. You should put on warm, dry socks, put on your shoes and walk like this for several hours so that the energy of the dew is “absorbed.”
Memory
In honor of Sisoy the Great (more precisely, the day of his memory - July 6 according to the church calendar, on which the victory in the Battle of Hogland was won) several ships of the Russian Imperial Fleet were named:
- Sysoy the Great (battleship, 1788)
- Sysoy the Great (battleship, 1822)
- Sysoy Velikiy (battleship, 1849), later converted into a frigate.
- Sisoi the Great (battleship) (1896-1905) - battleship, part of the Second Pacific Squadron, died in the Battle of Tsushima
What not to do on Sysoev Day
Representatives of the fairer sex are not allowed to work on this day. Usually on the nineteenth of July the owner of the house does the cleaning in order to protect his wife and daughters from meeting evil spirits. The most dangerous spirit that people were afraid of was the so-called underbelly. According to the legends, he lived underground (hence the strange name) and never went outside. He behaved very aggressively towards the person and only the owner of the house could control him. This dark spirit especially did not like young ladies, it was all about their cheerful disposition, which he simply could not stand.
- On this day, it is prohibited to borrow or lend money to anyone, as well as to resolve other financial issues.
- You cannot conflict with anyone, especially with loved ones. If you are provoked into conflict, try to smooth out the corners, calm people down, tell them that there is no need to be nervous. If people keep insisting, just leave this company.
- Don't express yourself. It is worth watching what you say, this applies not only to this day, but to your whole life. Think before you speak, this advice seems banal, but it is always relevant at all times.
Signs for the weather on July 19 on Sysoev Day
Our ancestors had many signs about the weather. People tried to determine the weather conditions by month for the coming days.
- If the Moon is greenish, you should expect rain.
- If the Moon is large and in fog, then you should expect colder weather.
- The month is brilliant and big - expect cold weather without rain.
On this day there were other signs that our ancestors adhered to. They believed that such signs “worked.” In some villages people still adhere to them.
- The leaves have begun to turn yellow - you should wait for early autumn or winter.
- Yellow clouds mean it will rain.
- In order to be healthy all year round, you must walk barefoot through the dew early in the morning.
- When the grain doesn't ripen, ring the bells.
- The moon is clearly visible in the sky - there will be a good grain harvest.
- Those born on this day will live their lives going with the flow.
- You cannot rush on this day, otherwise the work you have started will end in failure.
- The problems that appeared on the nineteenth of July will soon be resolved by themselves.
Late in the evening, people gathered on the street to look at the night sky. People tried to catch the falling stars on which they made a wish. It is very important to clearly and quickly say your wish on a shooting star, otherwise it will not come true.
There is a very simple and sure way to quickly say a wish: you need to come up with this wish in advance, say it to yourself several times, and then, when the star finally falls, just say it. This method allows you to remember your wish and automatically say it when a star falls. Usually people wished for a good harvest and good health for loved ones.
